Former Rangers Manager Clement Claims Could Close Celtic Gap with Patience

Philippe Clement has reflected on his tenure as Rangers manager, emphasizing that a lack of patience from the board curtailed his efforts to close the gap on Celtic, who have dominated Scottish football with consistent success and financial strength. Clement noted that Rangers were not financially sustainable at the time, with no fresh investment and a squad filled with aging players, leading to a strategy focused on cutting the wage bill and developing younger talent over several transfer windows. He believes that with more time and stable backing, Rangers could have improved their competitiveness and possibly challenged Celtic's dominance, highlighting that the board's impatience and fan pressure led to his early departure. Despite some moments of progress, including a derby win late in his tenure, Rangers fell short in key fixtures such as the League Cup and Scottish Cup finals, both won by Celtic. Clement also identified a pivotal League Cup final loss as a turning point that increased pressure on him and the club. His successor, Russell Martin, now faces the challenge of continuing the rebuilding process amid new financial circumstances following an American consortium takeover.